In an effort to push through an extension to the number of days the police can detain you without charge (if you are suspected of being a terrorist), the government—sorry: “Gordon Brown”, because all current and future legislation is the work of a single overbusy Scotsman—is suggesting that it will compensate innocent suspects held under the new legislaton:
Unveiling what appeared to be one final compromise, Tony McNulty, the Home Office Minister, disclosed that ministers were considering a compensation proposal. It was believed that suspects would be given up to £3,000 for every day they were held but subsequently released without charge. The Home Office later refused to confirm specific figures, however.
Putting a potential £126 000 of prize money at stake—time for me to work on that beard—is a cunning plan to ensure that when critics make reference to “Big Brother” legislation, the general public will think of the game show rather than the character in 1984.
Before you head down the route of pogonotrophy, the small print is that it’s an offer with a similar level of exaggeration to advertised broadband speeds.
It’s £3K per day for each day from the current period of 28 days to the higher 42 days, so it’s only £3K*14=£42K.
However, if you’re also thinking of a fallback position of creating your own programming language, it seems to be a necessity.
Sound like a good deal to me. NASA pays much less for people to lie in a bed for a similar period of time doing nothing. Stingy.
And I already have a) a beard and b) a Middle Eastern passport. So move aside, please.